A.B! & Coconut Brown talk social concerns, space travel

The members of A.B! and Coconut Brown are from left, Rhythm Rod, Cool Work, J Burns, Biggie G and A.B!

KALAMAZOO -- MC Adrian Butler, the frontman for the Grand Rapids hip-hop/funk band A.B! & Coconut Brown, was raised on funk and counts rappers Mos Def and Common as his biggest influences.

Add the fact that he raps over a live band, which includes a couple of horns and a guitarist who belonged to a metal group, and it's clear you're going to get a varied live performance. A.B! said they can play everything from original material addressing social issues in Grand Rapids to a Parliament cover to an ode to the Wu-Tang Clan.

They even work in Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

"It's a really hype show," A.B! said. "We all feed off each other really well. There's a lot of energy, and the crowd reacts."

The band will be making its second appearance in Kalamazoo -- first as a headliner -- when it jams starting at 9 p.m. Saturday at Papa Pete's, 502 S. Burdick St., along with local funk band Funktion. Grand Rapids' DJ Adiron Black will spin between set breaks. Admission is $3.

A.B! said the group started in the summer of 2005, but its current lineup has been fairly solid for the last 1.5 years.

His lyrics touch on politics in the United States, public schools, welfare and racial issues. He also hits on lighter subjects such as "crazy girls" in the band's original song, "Squirrels," and, with a tip of the cap to his mom and aunt who got him hooked on funk, space travel.

"It's so easy to use as a comparison point for thinking differently," he said. "It seems to be a really cool metaphor for a lot of things."

A.B! said he still raps over beats, but there can be an added, um, dimension, flowing over live musicians.

"I love live instruments and doing stuff with the band," he said. "The only frustration is that you have to make sure you have a good sound man. The vocals don't always come through."

But peering into the future, like any Space People would, A.B! said the band is working on its full-length debut album, scheduled to be released in the fall. You also can catch A.B! & Coconut Brown on July 24 and Aug. 28, both at Papa Pete's.